A beautiful fountain, called “Fontana dei Pescatori”, sits at the North end of the Piazza and the East side of the Piazza hosts “The Waterfront Trellis”.
Piazza Miramare is a 10,000-square-foot Italian-style public square at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and 6th Street in downtown San Pedro, the heart of the Little Italy of Los Angeles district. It opened on January 17, 2026, and is billed as the first Italian piazza in California. It sits between historic downtown and the harbor, next to San Pedro City Hall.
Miramare means “sea view” in Italian. From the square you can watch ships moving through the Port of Los Angeles.
Visiting
- Where: 629 S. Harbor Blvd., at W. 6th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731.
- Cost: Free and open to the public.
- Getting there: It’s a short walk from the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, the waterfront promenade and the shops and restaurants on 6th Street.
What you’ll find
- Fontana dei Pescatori: The Fishermen’s Fountain stands at the north end of the piazza. It honors the generations of Italian fishermen, many from Ischia, Genoa and Sicily, who settled in San Pedro in the early 1900s and helped build its fishing industry. The fountain runs on recycled water. It sits to one side so the center of the square stays open for events.
- The Waterfront Trellis: A shaded pergola on the east side with fixed wooden benches. It’s a good spot to sit with a coffee and watch the harbor.
- Beacon Steps: Terraced seating on the east side for meeting friends, watching events or resting.
- Family tiles: Engraved tiles and bricks honor San Pedro’s immigrant families. Many carry the name of the first relative who arrived from Italy. Sales of the tiles help pay for the piazza’s upkeep and programs.
- Time capsule: The San Pedro time capsule, buried in 1988 and due to be opened in 2088, lies beneath the center of the square. It was preserved during construction.
From Beacon Street to Piazza Miramare
For most of San Pedro’s history, the town’s center was Beacon Street, the busy, rowdy strip of saloons, shops and hotels on the bluff above the harbor. The city’s redevelopment program cleared old Beacon Street in the 1970s. The small plaza beside City Hall, known as Pepper Tree Plaza, was home to the Old Beacon Street Fountain, a cast-iron drinking fountain from the 1870s that was rescued from a gutter and placed here in 1980. The fountain was removed in 2025 as the plaza was rebuilt.
The Little Italy of Los Angeles Association (LILAA) set out to give the neighborhood a true town square again. Ground was broken on October 20, 2022. The architecture firm Gensler designed the new piazza. The City of Los Angeles owns it, and LILAA manages and programs it. Volunteers gave hundreds of hours, and donors and families paid for tiles. When funding fell short and the fountain was nearly cut, Marisa Antonini, originally from Turin, sponsored the Fontana dei Pescatori in full.
The piazza opened with a ribbon-cutting on January 17, 2026. Councilmember Tim McOsker, former Councilmember Joe Buscaino, Italy’s Consul General in Los Angeles Raffaella Valentini and Italian Parliament member Christian Di Sanzo attended, along with LILAA’s leaders. As LILAA President Mario Amalfitano put it, the square is “a symbol of unity, pride and cultural heritage.”
Little Italy’s year
LILAA hosts events throughout the year, in the piazza and on the streets around it. Dates and locations change, so check LILAA’s events page before you go.
- Carnevale (February): A traditional Italian masquerade celebration in the weeks before Lent, with festive costumes, entertainment, dinner and dancing.
- Gaelic & Garlic (March): A free community party for St. Patrick’s Day that celebrates San Pedro’s shared Irish and Italian heritage. It brings Irish dancers and Italian entertainment, food vendors and a no-host beer garden (21 and over) to the piazza.
- Tributo agli Eroi (May, LA Fleet Week): A patriotic waterfront celebration during Fleet Week weekend that honors active-duty service members and veterans. It has live entertainment, military appreciation events and local food trucks.
- ItalyRunLA 5K (late May or early June): A community run along the LA Waterfront to celebrate Festa della Repubblica, Italy’s Republic Day (June 2). It started in 2022. Proceeds support LILAA’s scholarship fund for local students and Fondazione Italia’s Italian language programs.
- Ferragosto: Cinema sotto le stelle (August): “Cinema under the stars.” Families bring blankets to watch Italian-themed films outdoors at sunset, with the harbor as a backdrop.
- Festa Italiana (October): Little Italy’s big street festival, which kicks off Italian American Heritage Month. It fills 6th Street with food, music, vendors, a car show and children’s activities. Admission is free.
Nearby
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum is at the foot of 6th Street, across Harbor Boulevard. Walk up 6th Street for the Arcade Building, the Warner Grand Theatre, galleries and Italian restaurants. The 1936 Post Office on Beacon Street is a few blocks south.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Piazza Miramare?
At 629 S. Harbor Blvd., on the corner of Harbor Boulevard and 6th Street in downtown San Pedro, next to San Pedro City Hall.
When did Piazza Miramare open?
It opened on January 17, 2026, a little over three years after the groundbreaking in October 2022.
What happened to the Old Beacon Street Fountain?
The 1870s cast-iron fountain stood in the old plaza beside City Hall from 1980 until it was removed in 2025, as the site was rebuilt as Piazza Miramare.
How can I get a tile at Piazza Miramare?
The Little Italy of Los Angeles Association sells engraved tiles and bricks for the piazza. Reserve one through LILAA’s website or email info@lilaa.org.